This system makes it easy for you to find what you need to know quickly —
because, after all, this is a reference book, and nobody wants to spend all day
thumbing through pages to find one simple technique.Part I: Basics and Rhythm .....................................................................
Without rhythm, “music” would be one long, unbroken, unwavering note, and
that would be awfully tricky to dance to. Rhythm is the most basic compo-
nent of any type of music, and being able to use rhythm properly can make or
break a composition. In this section, we discuss the moods you can create by
using different types of rhythm, as well as all the tools you should bring to
the table with you when you first set out to be a composer.Part II: Melody and Development .........................................................
Melody is the lead line of the song that stays stuck in your head long after the
song is over. It’s the basic theme running through a piece of music that ties
the whole thing together. In this section, we show you how to build melodic
lines around spoken or written phrases, how to build melodic motives, and
how to use the moods associated with different scales and modes.Part III: Harmony and Structure............................................................
Harmony is the part of a song that fleshes everything out. The proper use of
harmony could turn the melody of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” into a full
orchestral number. In this section, we go over writing harmonic accompani-
ment with existing melodies, composing music with chord progressions,
using effort shapes as compositional tools, understanding basic musical
forms, and getting going in songwriting.Part IV: Orchestration and Arrangement ............................................
At the end of the day, your music can’t just sit there looking lonely on paper.
It has to be either played by instruments, or sung, or both. In this chapter, we
discuss the playable ranges of the major instruments of pop ensembles and
the traditional orchestra. We also show you how to write music for pieces
with multiple voices, write music for profit, compose electronic and experi-
mental music, and put together a demo recording of your work.Introduction 3
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